Give Me a Break
by rarely26
Summary: Azula's story starting with her escape and her quest to be free, and find her mom.


Give Me a Break

Chapter One: The Seven Locks of Azula

Azula was wheeled into the maintenance cell as she always was mouth sealed tight by a muzzle clamped tight with two locks. Her hands were tied to the behind her back and locked to the back of her chair. Her legs were chained together and locked up tight at her knees and ankles. Her feet were clamped down the the chain were two pristine silver locks held down each foot respectively. Even with all that security she was sure that today would be the day she would escape from the institute. As the hairdresser turned around to clean of her scissors Azula starred into the mirror and waited. She came on cue as always, and as always Azula greeted her with the disdain that she didn't deserve.

"You look so lovely and you've finally calmed down," Ursa said smiling sweetly at her daughter

"You won't need to be feeding me your lies any longer," Azula spat. "I'm breaking out today."

"If that is the path you feel you must take than who am I to stop you?"

Azula screamed. Of course the hairdresser didn't hear her, she didn't see Ursa in the mirror have a conversation with Azula's reflection either. Azula waited calmly for the hairdresser to turn around as she did Azula made her move. She inhaled deeply through her nose after momentary pause she exhaled not a air but two jets of blue flames. The flames severed the locks freeing her mouth which with practiced accuracy cut the chains around her feet and legs. The hairdresser had noticed that. She ran towards the door to alert the guard but Azula had planned for this and placed her feet on the floor backed up to the hairdresser and with swift movement of her hands hit the hairdresser in the head with the handle of her chair. She fell to the floor incapacitated as with a flick of her foot cut her hand lock with a blue flame.

"Well, what now Azula?" Ursa asked innocently.

"Now?" Azula said menace flaring in her voice. " I'm destroying you and this place." She made the moves, lightning was about to be used. Azula thrust her finger forward and was greeted by flames not electricity.

"What...how...what did you do?" Azula shrieked at her mother.

"Nothing you are certainty has abandon you and now the necessary peace of mind for lightning is not within you."

Azula didn't respond with words she kicked her chair into the mirror shattering it and silencing her mother. She walked over to the door and picked up the scissors in the hairdresser hands for later use and without a second thought burned a hole in the door and greeted the guards with a smile.

The institute wasn't really an institution it was originally a large mansion but after the war it was converted to a jail to house the mentally impaired. So instead of a highly secured building the institution relied on a large number of talented guards. As well as the guards were trained they were no match for Azula. She ran throughout the wing to the stairwell. She needed to get to the healers section on the second floor. She sprinted taken down guards in her way until she heard her feet splash and she new she was in the waterbenders' windowed domain. She was a about to make a turn for the glass wall when she felt the loss of control. She saw the glowing water and wondered how healing could paralyze her.

"I know what you're thinking and its not just healing its messing with energy which means what I say goes."

"And you would be?" Azula asked innocently.

"Tia, your break out buddy," the guard said after a moment of pensive silence. He flicked his wrist and threw Azula into the room in a spout of water.

"I don't think you know who I am and I don't think you want to do what I want to do"

"Nope I do," he said with a wolf's grin. "Thats why I requested the healing quarters be in this glass dominated center, its a lot easier to break through"

"I don't need your help," she spat. "I am not weak!"

"I'm not implying that, but there are about twenty capable waterbenders in there little ice cubicles waiting to stop your breakout."

"What can you do to stop them."

"How about this," he said. With a complex movement of his arms and legs the water rose and they were swept into a fast stream of water heading towards the window.

She had lost control and was shaken up she couldn't break out of the stream without the other waterbenders stopping her and so she was at Tia's mercy. She felt the water jerk upwards and she was heaved into the air that was now thick with fog.

"You know waters pretty heavy," he said with a surprisingly calm inflection.

"You know that I should kill you," she said in a surprisingly flustered tone.

"You know you won't have time too," he said and with wave of his arm he broke the window and sent them flying out of their prison.

They went spiraling down and while Tia went to catch the with the falling water Azula took control of her situation and propelled herself towards the woods with four jets of blue flames.

She tried to land gracefully but she ended up falling through the trees, ands as she fell so did the scissors fell out of her waistband impaling the ground upon its landing. Azula landed across from them and once again had to face the mirror.

"Well are you going to let the guards get him," Ursa's familiar voice asked.

"Why should I help him," Azula hissed back at the scissors.

"Because you helping him would build trust, and with trust you could build a friendship," Ursa said. "I think thats what you want a friend."

She didn't answer her mother instead she stood up grabbed the scissors and ran. She ran back to the her prison where a showdown between a lone waterbender and and a handful guards was ending/

"Stop!" she yelled to the guards.

"Yea, well be with you in a moment miss," the lead guard called out.

"You have the mixed up!" she shouted. She sprung into action with a fury of punches and kicks and a barrage of blue flames she incapacitated her former keepers.

"Thanks," Tia said smiling through the pain. "Now lets get out of here, break out buddy." Azula ran making that a rare occasion that she listened to somebody else.


End file.
